44 
MADAGASCAR 
During this forest concert, all nature seems to be in 
an uproar. 
AvaJiis laniger is dispersed over wide districts of the 
island. On the other hand there are other genera, as 
may be understood from their emphatically arboreal life, 
whose species are confined to narrow limits. This holds, 
for example, in the case of the long-tailed bare-faced 
Sifakas {Pi^opithectis) about which A. Grandidier and 
Milne Edwards have published a very complete and 
splendidly illustrated monograph. The first specimen of 
these remarkable creatures was brought to Europe by 
Telfair in 1832 ; at present we are acquainted with a 
whole list of species, viz., from the east side, Propithems 
EdwaiMsii,, P. diadema and P. sericeus; from the district 
of the Sakalava on the west, P. coronatiis; in the north¬ 
west, P. Coqtterelii and P. Deckeni; while in the clear¬ 
ings quite in the south lives P. Vei^r^eauxii^ mentioned 
by Elacourt under the name of Sifaka. 
The fox lemurs (I^enmr) are somewhat smaller and 
have protruding fox-like snouts. In the woods of the 
east there is the ruffed lemur (^Lemin^ varms\ one of the 
prettiest species, which is often kept in captivity by the 
natives. It is black with white spots. In the north and 
in the woods of Nossi Be lives the black lemur {Lem7ir 
niger\ which is entirely black. Ear the most beautiful 
representative of the genus is the ring-tailed lemur 
(^Lemtir cattci)^ which has hitherto only been observed 
on the western side and Is also known under the name 
of catta. The long tail has broad rings, the colouring 
of the soft skin is ashen grey with a strong tinge of red, 
but after death this reddish flush rapidly fades. The 
yellowish grey or olive-coloured lemur (Hapalenmrgriseus) 
is not so pretty ; the dormouse lemur [Microcelms myoxinus) 
is quite dwarfish: it strikingly resembles our dormouse 
in size and habits, but Its mode of life is as yet little 
known. Two specimens which I brought to Europe alive. 
